The Spartan Club, comprised of Case Institute of Technology (CIT), Western Reserve University (WRU) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) alumni, parents of current students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University, is aimed at helping foster and honor the proud tradition of athletics at the University, while also supporting the current student-athletes. For more information on the Spartan Club, and to help support its purpose by becoming a member, CLICK HERE.
Case Western Reserve University junior Andy Kavcic, a running back on the football team, and sophomore Reid Smith, a member of the women's cross country team, have been named the Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for their performances this past week.
Kavcic broke a 27-year-old program record for rushing yards in a game, helping to lead the Spartans past Shenandoah University 48-41 on Saturday at DiSanto Field in Cleveland. Kavcic carried the ball 30 times for a program-record 256 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per carry and running for a pair of long touchdowns, while also catching four passes for 12 yards. He extended the Spartans' lead to 20-0 with a 47-yard touchdown run with 2:28 left in the first quarter, and then added a season-long 53-yard run for a score to put CWRU in front 34-20 with 3:29 to play in the half. Kavcic also helped CWRU run out the clock at the end of the game, carrying the ball on nine consecutive plays for 43 yards on the team's final drive, and breaking the program record on his final carry of the contest. The 256 yards were the second-most by a player in Division III in a game this season, and through two games, he has 328 rushing yards with two touchdowns and 12 receptions for 101 yards and an additional score.
The Spartans stand at 2-0 overall on the campaign following the win, and will host reigning Presidents' Athletic Conference Champion Washington & Jefferson College at DiSanto Field next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Smith was the Spartans' top finisher in a race for the first time in her career, helping the Spartans win the Division III Championship at the All-Ohio Challenge on Friday. Smith placed 20th out of 324 runners overall and fourth among 178 Division III competitors with a time of 23:19.3. Her effort helped the CWRU women place fourth overall in the team standings in the women's 6K race with a score of 165, and finish with a score of 54 points in the DIII standings, placing 10 points ahead of second-place Mount Union.
The Spartans will be back in action on Friday, October 2, at the Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The Spartan Club Athletes of the Week are selected by the CWRU Department of Athletics each Monday, based on their performance during the previous week of competition.
Honorable Mentions
Senior Jacob Slater (men's cross country) became the first runner in program history to win the all-division championship at the All-Ohio Challenge on Friday night. Slater placed first out of a field of 420 total runners in the men's 8K race, including 220 Division III competitors. He crossed the finish line in a time of 25:01.2, placing 7.9 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. His effort helped the men finish with a score of 88 points in the overall team standings, placing behind only Division II Walsh, while the team's score of 39 points in the DIII standings was well ahead of second-place Denison (62 points) and third-place Ohio Northern (80 points).
Sophomore Rasika Anandakumar (women's tennis) won four matches at the Kenyon Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Gambier, Ohio. Anandakumar won her lone singles match of the invite, defeating Ariana Rodriguez of Denison 6-1, 6-0. In doubles play, she went 3-1, earning two victories with Trisha Vellanki and another with Sara Fernanez. Anandakumar and Vellanki bested Denison's Kate Swigert and Hayley Shay 6-2 and Shay and Rodriguez 6-2. With Fernandez, the CWRU sophomore won 6-3 over Ainika Hou and Nehir Ertan from Carnegie Mellon. Anandakumar improved to 3-0 in singles matches and 4-3 in doubles play this season. The Spartans were 10-10 in doubles play and 5-21 in singles matches at the meet.
CWRU will wrap up the fall season with the 2026 ITA Division III Central Regional Championship, hosted by Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27.
Junior Avery Basinger (volleyball) averaged more than five assists per set for the Spartans as the team went 3-1 last week away from Cleveland. Basinger finished the week with 76 assists (5.07 per set) across 15 sets for CWRU, adding 21 digs (1.40 per set) and six kills. She had exactly 20 assists in a three-set victory over Oberlin on Wednesday night, contributed 23 assists on Friday night in a four-set loss to Marietta, added 19 assists in a five-set victory over Mount St. Joseph on Saturday morning, and finished the week with 14 assists in a sweep of Thiel on Saturday night. Basinger eclipsed 1,000 assists for her career in the loss to Marietta, finishing the weekend with 1,038 assists in 246 career sets (68 matches). She leads CWRU with 226 assists (5.02 per set) this season, adding 77 digs, 15 kills, and 10 service aces. CWRU improved to 7-5 with the three wins.
CWRU will begin conference play on Saturday, September 26, facing eighth-ranked Carnegie Mellon at 11 a.m. in Rochester, New York. Later in the day, the Spartans will take on 24th-ranked Chicago at 1 p.m.
First-year Jaden Dai (men's tennis) was one of the top performers for the Spartans in his collegiate debut at the Denison Invitational last weekend. Dai finished the weekend with a 2-0 record in singles matches and a 2-0 record in doubles contests with fellow first-year Daniel Zhang. In singles play, Dai claimed a 6-3, 6-4 win over Carnegie Mellon's Jayden Yu and a 3-6, 6-4, 10-4 victory over Carnegie Mellon's Ian Miller. In doubles action, he and Zhang bested DePauw's Raul Leandro and Evan Uhl 6-3 and Denison's Peter Berns and Aidan Borosko 7-5.
The Spartans will continue their fall season next weekend, splitting the squad between the Everybody vs. Cancer Invitational at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, and the Oberlin Invitational in Oberlin, Ohio.
Graduate student forward Saiheed Jah (men's soccer) had three points in the third-ranked Spartans 3-0 victory over Kenyon College on Saturday night at DiSanto Field in Cleveland. After a scoreless first half, Jah broke the deadlock just 76 seconds into the second period, heading in a corner kick for the eventual game-winning goal. It was his first career goal and first goal as a Spartan. He added an assist on the team's second goal of the night, heading a throw-in across the front of the net to a teammate who pushed the ball into the back of the net. Jah, who has appeared in all seven games for CWRU off the bench, has one goal and two assists in 2026. The Spartans improved to 7-0-0 with the win, remaining one of eight unblemished teams in Division III.
The Spartans have two non-conference games remaining on the schedule, hosting John Carroll on Wednesday, September 23 at 7 p.m. and traveling to Angola, Indiana, for a matchup against Trine on Saturday, September 26 at 12 p.m.
Junior outside hitter Sienna Olson (volleyball) was the Spartans' most efficient hitter as the team went 3-1 last week. Olson totaled 38 kills on a .314 attacking percentage across 15 sets in four matches. Her best performance came in a four-set loss to Marietta on Friday night when she had 14 kills, three digs, and a block. She did not commit an error in 11 attacks on Wednesday night during a three-set win at Oberlin, putting down seven kills while adding two digs and two blocks. On Saturday, Olson hit .220 in two matches, totaling 17 kills, seven digs, and a block in two CWRU wins. This season, Olson is second on the team with 78 kills (2.17 per set) with a .236 hitting percentage.
Sophomore forward Izzy Probst (women's soccer) scored a goal in each of the Spartans' road games last weekend, increasing her team-leading season total to five. On Friday afternoon in a 2-1 victory over Hope in Michigan, Probst scored just 150 seconds into the contest, sending the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards out after running from the midfield. In a 2-1 loss to Calvin the following day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Probst scored early in the contest, finding the back of the net in the 10th minute. Probst had 13 points on five goals and three assists this season for CWRU, leading the squad with 26 shots and 17 shots on goal. CWRU moved to 5-2-0 this season after the weekend split.
The Spartans will face another challenging opponent on the road this week, when the team travels to Erie, Pennsylvania, to take on 15th-ranked Penn State Behrend on Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m.
Sophomore goalkeeper Carter Shedd (men's soccer) recorded his first career shutout in the third-ranked Spartans 3-0 victory over Kenyon College on Saturday night. Shedd saved a career-high six shots in the victory to ensure the fourth shutout in five games for CWRU. He faced 17 shots in the contest. This season, Shedd has allowed just three goals (including one own goal) in 580:58 for a 0.46 goals against average.
Senior Beau Wolf (football) returned the opening kickoff of Saturday's game 89 yards for a touchdown, setting an early tone in the Spartans' 48-41 win over Shenandoah University. On a designed play to start the game, Wolf received a cross-field lateral pass from Jake Kavcic at the 11-yard line and proceeded to take it the distance to give CWRU the early lead in the game. It was his second career kick return for a touchdown. Wolf also caught five passes for 87 yards (both team highs), including a 37-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Through two games this season, he has returned the one kick for 89 yards and has caught 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Junior linebacker Zach Yordy (football) returned an interception for a touchdown to help the Spartans defeat Shenandoah University 48-41 in the team's home opener at DiSanto Field on Saturday. With 8:36 left in the fourth quarter and the Spartans leading by seven, Yordy jumped a route and intercepted a pass at the 35-yard line, returning it into the end zone for the first touchdown of his career. He finished the game with five tackles (three solo), leading a CWRU defensive effort that held the Hornets to just 42 rushing yards. Yordy leads all CWRU players with 15 tackles (seven solo) this season with one tackle for loss and an interception.
2026-27 Spartan Club Athletes of the Week
Sept. 8: Aaron Filips (football) & Izzy Probst (women's soccer)
Sept. 14: Micah Rossen (men's soccer) & Maya Zarow (volleyball)
Sept. 21: Andy Kavcic (football) & Reid Smith (women's cross country)
